Kitchen remembered as talented teen who loved his family

Published: Monday, July 15, 2013 at 8:22 p.m.

Last Modified: Monday, July 15, 2013 at 8:22 p.m.

Eighteen-year-old Jordan Kitchen, eating breakfast with his uncle before a day of yard work Saturday, said that if anything ever happened to him, he wanted to be buried next to his grandmother.

He was full of life. He was talented. He loved his family and up until that morning, Kitchen had been busy chasing a dream of going pro like his mentor, Robbie “Shank” Biershenk, star of the Golf channel series' “Chasing the Dream.”

Later that day, the Etowah teen died in a tragic accident when he was pinned beneath a tree that he and a family member were cutting down.

“He kind of looked up to me and in due respect I looked up to him,” said Biershenk, owner of Shanks Golf Range and Learning Center in Greenville, S.C.

Biershenk said Kitchen came to him mid-season of his show's airing on the Golf channel. The series followed Chris Anderson, “a successful businessman with a wife and three kids,” and Biershenk, “who struggles to make ends meet,” according to golfchannel.com.

The reality show chronicled their journey to “risk everything on their quest” to the ultimate dream — playing on the PGA tour.

“He come down and said, I'm like you, buddy, I want to chase the dream also... He reminded me a lot of myself when I was his age,” Biershenk said. “We bonded real quick and he was a godsend.”

Kitchen graduated last month from West Henderson High, where he was a star on the boys' golf team. He was selected to the Times-News All-Area Boys Golf Team in June. He earned all-conference honors for the second straight season this year and had an 18-hole stroke average of 82 and nine-hole average of 39.

He dreamed of being a professional golfer and, according to Biershenk, he was well on his way, even beating the 30-year veteran in an impromptu match at the driving range.

In between his time on the links, where he was honing his golf game in hopes of being a walk-on at Limestone College next year, Kitchen was doing yard work to help with bills around the house.

“He had so much talent... He was at the high time of his life,” Biershenk said.

West Henderson's boys golf coach, Jay Young, said he was told Kitchen was working with his uncle to cut a massive tree down in Leicester on Saturday. Kitchen was on the trunk removing the tree's limbs when it started to roll. Kitchen was pinned beneath the tree and died before help could arrive.

The family continues to grieve over the sudden loss.

“He loved his family,” Biershenk said, adding that Kitchen's uncle recalled to him that conversation over breakfast Saturday morning when he talked about wanting to be buried next to his grandmother. Friends are hoping to help the family with that wish.

“He loved golf and I'm not going to say it took a tragedy to wake you up, but in a sense I'm going to use this to better myself,” Biershenk said, looking back at the indelible impact Kitchen had on him. “He thought of everybody but himself... He wanted to see others do well.”

Biershenk is now more determined than ever to chase the dream — not just for himself, but for Kitchen. He hopes to hold a memorial golf tournament in the future to carry on Kitchen's legacy of helping others.

“He was an outdoor country boy and he had a gift,” Biershenk said. “You just don't run around that kind of talent” every day.

“He loved golf. He loved people. He always had a smile on his face and he loved telling jokes,” Biershenk said, adding that he was blessed to have known him. “He was a Christian boy... and I know without a doubt he is with his Lord and savior.”

<p>Eighteen-year-old Jordan Kitchen, eating breakfast with his uncle before a day of yard work Saturday, said that if anything ever happened to him, he wanted to be buried next to his grandmother. </p><p>He was full of life. He was talented. He loved his family and up until that morning, Kitchen had been busy chasing a dream of going pro like his mentor, Robbie “Shank” Biershenk, star of the Golf channel series' “Chasing the Dream.” </p><p>Later that day, the Etowah teen died in a tragic accident when he was pinned beneath a tree that he and a family member were cutting down.</p><p>“He kind of looked up to me and in due respect I looked up to him,” said Biershenk, owner of Shanks Golf Range and Learning Center in Greenville, S.C.</p><p>Biershenk said Kitchen came to him mid-season of his show's airing on the Golf channel. The series followed Chris Anderson, “a successful businessman with a wife and three kids,” and Biershenk, “who struggles to make ends meet,” according to golfchannel.com. </p><p>The reality show chronicled their journey to “risk everything on their quest” to the ultimate dream — playing on the PGA tour.</p><p>“He come down and said, I'm like you, buddy, I want to chase the dream also... He reminded me a lot of myself when I was his age,” Biershenk said. “We bonded real quick and he was a godsend.”</p><p>Kitchen graduated last month from West Henderson High, where he was a star on the boys' golf team. He was selected to the Times-News All-Area Boys Golf Team in June. He earned all-conference honors for the second straight season this year and had an 18-hole stroke average of 82 and nine-hole average of 39.</p><p>He dreamed of being a professional golfer and, according to Biershenk, he was well on his way, even beating the 30-year veteran in an impromptu match at the driving range.</p><p>In between his time on the links, where he was honing his golf game in hopes of being a walk-on at Limestone College next year, Kitchen was doing yard work to help with bills around the house.</p><p>“He had so much talent... He was at the high time of his life,” Biershenk said.</p><p>West Henderson's boys golf coach, Jay Young, said he was told Kitchen was working with his uncle to cut a massive tree down in Leicester on Saturday. Kitchen was on the trunk removing the tree's limbs when it started to roll. Kitchen was pinned beneath the tree and died before help could arrive. </p><p>The family continues to grieve over the sudden loss.</p><p>“He loved his family,” Biershenk said, adding that Kitchen's uncle recalled to him that conversation over breakfast Saturday morning when he talked about wanting to be buried next to his grandmother. Friends are hoping to help the family with that wish.</p><p>“He loved golf and I'm not going to say it took a tragedy to wake you up, but in a sense I'm going to use this to better myself,” Biershenk said, looking back at the indelible impact Kitchen had on him. “He thought of everybody but himself... He wanted to see others do well.”</p><p>Biershenk is now more determined than ever to chase the dream — not just for himself, but for Kitchen. He hopes to hold a memorial golf tournament in the future to carry on Kitchen's legacy of helping others.</p><p>“He was an outdoor country boy and he had a gift,” Biershenk said. “You just don't run around that kind of talent” every day.</p><p>“He loved golf. He loved people. He always had a smile on his face and he loved telling jokes,” Biershenk said, adding that he was blessed to have known him. “He was a Christian boy... and I know without a doubt he is with his Lord and savior.”</p><p>Reach Weaver at emily.weaver@blueridgenow.com or 828-694-7867.</p>